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support with supplies of arms, munitions, financial aid,  
and ships, in order that Britain (France having fallen) might withstand   
the onslaught of Germany. In this year I contacted Prime Minister Salazar   
in Lisbon, undertaking to shake his fears that Germany, because of her   
growing strength, could not fail to conquer her neighbors. I was convinced   
of Salazar' s influence with General Franco and it was important to keep   
Spain from entering the war on the Axis side. My report at the time upon   
this meeting will be found interesting reading in view of subsequent   
events). In these dark hours I also visited, en route to Washington, to   
report to you, Mr. President, Prime Minister Churchill, other British   
Cabinet officers, Cardinal Hinsley, and others in England, expressing   
assurance of our sympathy and our support of Britain and France. Germany   
attacked Russia in this period, and so dark were the days that our most   
competent military and political experts even fixed the day- August 15th-   
as the time of the complete Russian collapse and of subsequent general  
                     European disaster.                     
 
                                                            
 
 
  En route home, and at your request, I also   
arranged for David Grey to come to London from Dublin to discuss the   
sensitive Irish situation and carry back to Dublin our confident   
 assurance. I thought best not to visit Dublin in person at